Raise diplomats’ pay, allowances

At the weekend, this publication ran a story titled “The pain of being a Ugandan diplomat’’, which depicted a not-so-rosy picture of the living conditions of the country’s representatives abroad. The heads of missions and their deputies are living apart from their spouses and children because salaries and living allowances are not adequate for one big happy family living in a bungalow with a well-manicured front yard.

President Museveni and some sections of the public might argue that science teachers and scientists are a top priority in propelling Uganda’s socio-economic development.

President Museveni, while passing out 413 secondary school head teachers at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi upon completing ideological orientation training at the weekend, said: “How will the State pay good salaries if there’s no socio-economic transformation? Where does it get money from? When we took over the government, we were earning small salaries for a long time, even now I earn a small salary.”

He was reacting to demands by arts teachers for salary increments, who have accused the government of discrimination after salaries of science teachers with degrees were increased from Shs4m, diploma holders from Shs3m in 2022. Arts teachers’ salaries remain at Shs900,000.

“We need these scientists more because we need engineers, and medical doctors, among others. I studied arts but I cannot come with my Shakespeare to put up a bridge,” President Museveni said, in response to the arts teachers’ demand. While teachers, through Uganda National Teachers Union (Unatu) and other professionals such as prosecutors, nurses, medical interns can hold protests, it might be a tall order to see diplomats laying down tools, in protest of low pay and poor living conditions.

Diplomats earn about Shs1,390,000 every month, much less than science teachers, whom they, among other Ugandans, are expected to vouch for and source jobs, investment and training opportunities and other matters in their official engagements.

Diplomats, especially the heads of mission and their deputies are the faces of Uganda abroad. Imagine a high commissioner, whose resident is condemned, hosts guests at a restaurant in New York or Shanghai or whichever high-end place. However,  the mission cannot pay a bill of about $3,000 for say ten individuals because Uganda allocates $100 per meal. So where else and how can our top diplomats speak Shakespeare and sell the “pearl of Africa’’ slogan, “we are open for business”, among other campaigns? The President and technocrats should consider the welfare and living conditions of our diplomats and state of the 31 missions abroad as a matter of national importance, and where possible a national security issue. Why are our missions such as Ottawa, New York, among others, housed in condemned or yet-to-be condemned premises? Why should a diplomat rent a residence? What happens if spies and other criminal-minded individuals and firms have links to such rentals and get wind of Uganda’s classified and diplomatic briefs? 

Our commitment to you

We pledge:

• To be accurate and fair in all we do.
• To be respectful to all in our pursuit of the truth.
• To refuse to accept any compensation beyond that provided by Monitor Publications Ltd. for what we do in our news gathering and decision-making.

Further, we ask that we be informed whenever you feel that we have fallen short in our attempt to keep these commitments.